'Tis so much joy! 'Tis so much joy!
If I should fail, what poverty!
And yet, as poor as I,
Have ventured all upon a throw!
Have gained! Yes! Hesitated so –
This side the Victory!
Life is but Life! And Death, but Death!
Bliss is, but Bliss, and Breath but Breath!
And if indeed I fail,
At least, to know the worst, is sweet!
Defeat means nothing but Defeat,
No drearier, can befall!
And if I gain! Oh Gun at Sea!
Oh Bells, that in the steeples be!
At first, repeat it slow!
For Heaven is a different thing,
Conjectured, and waked sudden in –
And might extinguish me!
何等大喜樂何等大喜樂
若我註定失敗何等貧困
即使貧困如我這般還要
冒險孤注一擲賭它一把
中了棒極了慢慢地滾動
終於滾動到勝利的一邊
生命是生命死亡是死亡
恩典是恩典活著是活著
然而就算我真失敗倒下
至少知道最糟的是甜蜜
失敗並無它不過是失敗
沒有更沮喪降臨在我身
一旦我贏了啊海上砲聲
啊那些在尖塔頂端鐘聲
就開始徐徐緩緩重複著
因為天國是不同的事情
猜測著卻突然覺悟了然
會終結我認知進入沉默
默想:
以弗所書1:8~10「這恩典是神用諸般智慧聰明,充充足足賞給我們的;都是照他自己所預定的美意,叫我們知道他旨意的奧祕,要照所安排的,在日期滿足的時候,使天上、地上、一切所有的都在基督裡面同歸於一。」人生是一場荒謬嗎?還是一場隨機的賭注?抑或命運控制在自己手中的遊戲?每個人經歷都是不同的,也可能在包括前述的三四種人生觀中來回轉動。只有捨棄自己的成見,謙卑認定基督信仰,在帕斯卡賭博理論上,總是有利的。